Method for reducing required memory capacity and creation of a database

ABSTRACT

A method for reducing required memory capacity and creation of a database. In order to reduce the storage requirement of a database, the invention provides for, non-color information units to be stored to be assigned to the points of intersection of an at least two-dimensional raster matrix which spans a color space, individual color values being assigned to the information units located in the raster matrix and the image matrix thus formed being stored, preferably after image compression, as a database or part of a database.

The invention relates to a method for reducing the storage requirementof a database and also an apparatus for carrying out the method.

Skilful modelling of a database is a problem particularly when verylarge volumes of data are involved. A concrete example is the desire orthe necessity to store telephone tariff information or otherindividually assignable information units for any location-locationcombinations worldwide or at least for a relatively large country, forexample Germany. The storage space available for this should be kept toa minimum. In Germany alone, however, there is already a total of5604*5604 possible dialling code combinations. A total, therefore, ofmore than 30 million data records. In this case, each data recordcomprises at least two long-integer values of 4 bytes just for thedialling code, up to 25 bytes for the place name and at least 4 bytesfor the assignment to the individual tariff zones. Each data record thushas at least 4+4+25+4=37 bytes. Consequently, the whole database wouldhave a size of about 1.1 Gbytes, even without taking account of theso-called overhead, (indexing, etc.) of the respectively selecteddatabase. Skilful modelling of the database and classic compressiontechnology would allow the storage requirement to be reduced toapproximately 100 Mbytes. For certain database systems, which will bespecified in more detail below, there is a desire to reduce the storagerequirement further.

DE 34 25 844 A1 discloses a method for rapidly retrieving specific datarecords, produced by a telecommunications switching system or dataprocessing system, in a data memory. The method proposes that when thedata records are stored in the data memory, search terms aresimultaneously stored as so-called key words in parallel therewith in aparticular memory area. In the course of further processing or when thedata records are printed out, whenever a key word corresponding to thesearch term is found, the counter position of an address counter forserial searching of the particular memory area is used to address theassociated data record sought in a data memory.

Another search method for a data memory is disclosed in DE 39 08 684 A1.In this method, a finite management area, a search area located withinthe management area, and also search objects are predetermined in ann-dimensional co-ordinates system, the search objects which intersectthe search area being determined.

These methods also permit only a slight reduction in the storagerequirement.

The invention is therefore based on the object of specifying a methodand an apparatus suitable for carrying out the method which enable thestorage requirement to be reduced beyond the extent known to date in thecase of certain databases.

The inventive method for reducing the storage requirement of a databaseis characterized in that information units to be stored are assigned tothe points of intersection of an at least two-dimensional raster matrix,individual colour values are assigned to the information units locatedin the raster matrix and in that the image matrix thus formed is storedas database or as part of a database, preferably after the image matrixhas been subjected to image compression.

The raster matrix is spanned by axes and information contents definedeither by algorithms or by an assignent table can be assigned to theindividual axis values. Suitable colour values used within the rasterimage matrix are, in particular, the known and defined RGB colourvalues, thereby enabling classic loss-free compression methods to beemployed for a further considerable reduction in the storagerequirement.

An inventive apparatus for carrying out the method according to theinvention is characterized by the features of the claims of the presentpatent application with advantageous refinement possibilities inaccordance with further dependent patent claims.

The invention will also be explained in more detail with reference tothe appended drawing, using an exemplary embodiment.

The invention is based on the concept that any items of information canbe interpreted as colour values within a multi-dimensional, for examplea two-dimensional, colour space which defines an image. Complex clustersof information, e.g. databases or extensive tables, are represented as astringing together of colour values, that is to say as images. Thecolour values are not strung together in an arbitrary order, but ratherin the form of a multi-dimensional matrix or of a co-ordinate system,the axes being assigned their own information content. Quite apart fromthe reduction associated with this colour value conversion, classicloss-free image compression methods can now be applied to the imagesproduced by the conversion.

Classic databases usually store information in tables, the columns eachhaving their own information content but the rows being used (if at all)in an identifying manner.

On the basis of the invention, combinations of atomic or molecularinformation units are generated or interpreted in particular as complexcolour values. For example, three ASCII characters are combined to forma colour value. In this case, the assignment of the colour values tospecific character strings is defined either by an algorithm or byassignment tables which, in turn, can likewise be stored as imageinformation.

With reference to the above example of a telephone tariff informationdatabase, the x axis of a two-dimensional colour matrix is assigned thedestination locations and the y axis the originating locations, forexample. A 5604*5604 matrix is thus constructed. The correspondingtariff zone is entered at the points of intersection. In addition, anindex is required in which a dialling code is assigned to a matrix rowand/or column. The respective tariff information is entered as a colourvalue into the matrix. The result is then a bitmap with a total of5604*5604 and a colour depth of in each case 4 bytes. When stored as abitmap, the storage requirement is still approximately 13 Mbytes.However, since a graphic is now present, classic methods for loss-freecompression of graphics can be employed without any difficulty. If thePNG format is taken as a basis, for example, then ultimately a storagerequirement of only approximately 650 Kbytes is still necessary for theresulting database, in conjunction with the possibility of faster accessto individual data records.

FIG. 1 illustrates the units or the structure of a database 100 withapplication of the method according to the invention. The invention caninclude a database engine 120 coupled to a data-cube 110 and a colortranslation unit 130 and axis translation unit 140. FIG. 2 is a blockdiagram which illustrates a process for reducing required memorycapacity and creating a database in accordance with the database 100 ofFIG. 1. Specifically, non-image data 210 can be processed in a colorvalue converter unit 220. The color value converter unit 220 can assignthe non-image data to one or more intersection points of an at leapttwo-dimensional raster matrix 230. Individual color values can beassigned to the data located in the at least two-dimensional rastermatrix in order to form an image matrix. Subsequently, the image matrixcan be stored in a database 240.

Insofar as a multi-axis assignment is taken as a basis, an axis valueassignment unit or axis translation unit ATU is provided. This ATUassigns a specific axis value to an item of atomic or molecularinformation or meta-information by means of an algorithm or anassignment table and also transfers the said axis value back again.Examples of meta-information that may be imagined are a pointer to adocument or, in more complex cases, a “genuine” image.

Images are known to be (as a rule) two-dimensional arrangements(“distributions”) of individual colour values. An image can thus also beunderstood as a coordinate system, two- or multi-dimensional co-ordinatesystems in which individual colour values are to be located beingassumed in the present context. In the case of more than two-dimensionalco-ordinate systems one may also speak of colour spaces.

If a two-dimensional co-ordinate system is assumed, as an example, thenthe assignment rule underlying the ATU can be represented, withreference to the above example, simply as follows: “Take the integervalue of a dialling code as axis value”, the quantity of all theoriginating locations then being determined as the information space.

The ATU itself accesses, in turn, a colour value converter unit orcolour translation unit CTU, which determines the assignment of specificinformation items to the axis values, that is to say the assignment ofindividual colour values to the atomic or molecular information units ormeta-information units, and vice versa.

This assignment can again be made by means of algorithms or else bymeans of assignment tables. In this case, the following fundamentalconcept is applied:

As is known, colour values can be described as RGB values. In this case,an RGB value represents the component of red, green and blue by means ofa respective 8-byte value for example (decimal: 0 to 255). The threeindividual colour values are converted into a single RGB value, forexample

Red=255, Green=255, Blue=255→RGB=16777215 or

Red=65, Green=43, Blue=0→RGB=11073. The three individual values are thencombined by bit-by-bit combination of the individual colour values toform a 24-byte colour value.

Example: 255 corresponds to 11111111. As a result, the RGB value (255,255, 255) yields, when represented as a bit value: 11111111 1111111111111111.

As the example illustrates, specific information items are thus“converted” into colour values, to be precise

either by means of a defined assignment table for individual bit values,

or by means of an assignment table for RGB values to items of atomic ormolecular information or meta-information,

or by means of an algorithm or an assigment table of items of atomic ormolecular information or meta-information in each case to a specificred, green and blue value.

In other words, the CTU thus assigns a colour value, for example an RGBvalue, to an item of atomic or molecular information ormeta-information. In this case, the application is not restricted to thecreation of, for example, 24-byte RGB values, but rather can be appliedanalogously to any colour values, for example 32-byte RGB values.

This will be illustrated using a simple example for the CTU logicarrangement: “Compose a colour value from three successive ASCII valuesin each case”.

Using this simple rule, the word “Beispieltext” [“example text”], forinstance, could be represented by means of a sequence of colour valuescomposed of four pixels:

Beispieltext→(66,101,105)(115,112,105)(101,108,116)(101,120,116)→6907202,6910067,7629925,7632997.

If the axis value assignment unit ATU is used in conjunction with thecolour value converter unit CTU, then certain axes which cannot be usedin classic database systems can likewise be utilized, in a simplemanner, for storing additional information.

The data or information are then actually stored in images or colourspaces in a storage bank referred to as data cube in the drawing.

As mentioned, in the case of a two-dimensional colour space (image) itis possible to employ classic loss-free compression methods in order tocompress and reduce the storage requirement further. In the case of morethan two-dimensional colour spaces, the latter can either be simulatedby two-dimensional images or it is possible to adapt appropriateloss-free compression algorithms to multi-dimensional colour spaces.

Finally, for communication with the outside world, an interface ispresent which is designated as database engine and whose main task isthe (buffer-) storage and retrieval of information. This interface mustadditionally fulfil all the essential functions of classic databasesystems; it therefore differs only in the form of its actualrealization.

If its additional function is reduced to what is essential, then theactual difference is that the pixel values required in the context ofthe invention have to be read or set via the database interface inmulti-dimensional colour spaces. As a rule, the elementary processingprocess appears as follows:

(1) The CTU converts the information units arising into colour values;

(2) the ATU (more than one of which are present, if appropriate) locatesthe information units (colour values) once again in their respectiveinformation spaces, and

(3) the database engine sets or reads at the corresponding location thecolour values determined by the CTU in the data memory (data cube).

The particular advantages of the database solution according to theinvention are, primarily:

The storage space requirement is reduced considerably, for example by afactor of 100, that is to say from 100 Mbytes to 650 Kbytes, forexample.

The database access is faster on account of the architecture and thesmaller database sizes.

A first reduction in the storage space requirement is already achievedby the use of the colour value converter unit CTU; a further substantialreduction is achieved by the additional use of the axis value assignmentunit ATU.

The method according to the invention or the described databasestructure with reduced storage requirement is primarily suitablewherever very large volumes of data are involved or for volume-dependenttransmission costs, for example for the “video on demand”, “news ondemand” sectors and also for internet transmissions and the like. Theadditional database modelling effort required in comparison with classicdatabase systems is worthwhile for these areas of application.Applications of interest that are currently in the foreground areworldwide routing database systems, in particular for the internet faxservice, as well as the abovementioned application for systems fortariff information and calculation via ticket machines.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for reducing the storage requirement ofa database, the method comprising the steps of: first assigningelectronic data which does not represent an image to be stored to aplurality of intersection points of an at least two-dimensional rastermatrix; second assigning individual color values to said electronic datalocated in said at least two-dimensional raster matrix, said first andsecond assigning steps forming an image matrix; and, storing said formedimage matrix in a database.
 2. The method according to claim 1, whereinsaid color values comprise complex RGB color values.
 3. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising the step of subjecting saidimage matrix to an image compression process prior to storing said imagematrix in said database.
 4. The method according to claim 1, whereinsaid first assigning step comprises the step of algorithmicallyestablishing axis values for said electronic data.
 5. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein said first assigning step comprises thestep of establishing axis values for said non-color information unitswith information content defined by an assignment table.
 6. An apparatusfor reducing the storage requirement of a database comprising: a colorvalue converter unit (CTU) configured to allocate electronic data whichdoes not represent an image to defined points of intersection of a colormatrix as a respective color value within a color space predetermined bysaid color matrix, a storage bank for storing said defined color values;and, a database engine coupled both to said CTU and to said storagebank, and configured to process requests both to store and retrievecolor values allocated by said CTU to said electronic data.
 7. Theapparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an axis translationunit (ATU) coupled to said CTU and configured to assign electronic datato predetermined axis values of a co-ordinate system corresponding to amulti-dimensional color value matrix, said CTU assigning specific colorvalues to said assigned axis values.
 8. The apparatus according to claim6, further comprising a loss-free compression device of said colormatrix assigned to said storage bank.